Junior Nolan Groninger will try and help his Warsaw team earn a share of the NLC title Friday night. The Tigers play host to Plymouth in the conference finale.

WARSAW -Warsaw boys basketball coach Doug Ogle said before the season started that he thought that the Northern Lakes Conference champion this year could have two losses in league play.

In a year where the only predictable thing has been the complete unpredictability of the topsy-turvy league, Ogle’s prediction may be the only thing to ring true.

This much we know for sure.

The conference will have its first two-loss champion come late Friday night for the first time in 15 years.The Tigers in Ogle’s second year as head coach in 2003-04 went 5-2 to claim the NLC championship. Five other teams all finished 4-3 that season.

The logjam at the top of the standings, which features four teams all tied at 4-2, will shake out on the outcomes of a trio of NLC finales Friday night. The quartet of Warsaw, Plymouth, Northridge and Elkhart Memorial sit atop the league standings at 4-2. The Tigers host Plymouth, while Northridge entertains Concord and Memorial visits NorthWood Friday night.

Ogle’s teams set league history by going 21-0 over the past three seasons to claim conference supremacy all alone. The Tigers became the first program in NLC annals to post three straight undefeated league seasons.

The Warsaw boss will not mind sharing this time around as his young tea has put itself in position for the crown.

The Tigers have bounced back after a rough start after losing eight seniors a year ago, including Indiana All-Star Kyle Mangas. Warsaw, which dropped its league opener to Wawasee 28-20 in the Tiger Den back in mid-December, has won seven of its last eight games to sit at 10-8 overall.

“I think that beating Plymouth and earning a share of the NLC this year would be a nice accomplishment for our players,” said Ogle. “We were basically starting over this year with just one returning starter. All of the other schools in the NLC had way more experience back than we did.

“With six of our top eight players being underclassmen, I think that winning a share of the NLC would be a credit to our guys. For us to be in this position says something about our players.”

The Tigers, who are coming off a 63-50 NLC loss to Elkhart Memorial last Thursday night, will have their hands full with rival Plymouth. The Pilgrims are the hottest team in the league with seven straight wins. Coach Ryan Bales’ squad started 5-1 before losing five in a row and then winning their last seven.

The Pilgrims, who opened the NLC schedule 0-2 with losses to NorthWood (52-51) and Memorial (53-47), also have one of the league’s top players in Clay Hilliard. The 6-1 junior guard is averaging 17.9 points-per-game and is 67-144 from 3-point range.

“Clay can really shoot it,” noted Ogle of Hillard, who was the second-leading scorer for Plymouth a year ago. “The big thing is that his release on his shot is so quick. He’s also crafty and patient and good at getting open.”

Ogle admitted that defense on the perimeter on Hillard will be a big key for his team. The Tigers allowed Memorial guard Hank Smith to hit a school record nine treys last week.

“We have to be smarter on defense and more attached,” said Ogle. “We have a defensive plan and we have to be locked in to it.

“I get a sense that we are refocused after the loss to Memorial. I think that it sharpened us up. I know that we have to play well Friday night. Plymouth is a solid team. They have balance offensively and are not just Clay.”

Kadin McCrammer, a 6-2 senior forward, averages 9.8 ppg. for the Pilgrims. Senior Garrett Tharp checks in at 8.8 ppg. for Plymouth, which has four seniors.

The Pilgrims, who are 12-6 overall, last claimed the NLC title in 2007-08 by going 6-1. Plymouth finished just 2-5 in conference play a season ago.

Nolan Groninger continues to pace the Tigers, who are 4-4 at home this season after getting off to an 0-4 start inside the Tiger Den. The junior guard is averaging 13.8 ppg and has 94 assists to 38 turnovers and is shooting 85 percent from the free throw line. Sophomore Brian Elliott, who hit eight triples in scoring a career-high 24 points in the loss last week at Memorial, is at 7-1 ppg. Senior Zach Riley averages 6.9 points and 4.3 rebounds and junior Tyler Metzinger 6.8 points and four rebounds.

The Tigers have defeated the Pilgrims three straight times, including a 51-40 final last season. Warsaw leads the all-time series 78-51 and has won seven of the last 10 contests with Plymouth.

Warsaw had its 13-game road winning streak in NLC games stopped in the loss at Memorial last Thursday night at North Side Gym. Groninger also saw his string of scoring in double figures come to an end at 11 games in a row in the contest as he scored six points.

The two teams will both compete in the Class 4-A Elkhart Sectional at North Side Gym later this month. Plymouth was added to the sectional mix this year to replace Penn.